❝mark,❞ donghyuck went behind the lion as he followed him in the dark. ❝i don't know where we are going but this is scaring me.❞

laughing at him, mark had pulled him closer without the pudu noticing. donghyuck was too busy scanning the dark area to even care about mark's arm wrapped around his waist and pulling him closer. ❝don't worry, we are almost there.❞

❝you're not making fun of me, are you?❞ donghyuck frowned.

sure, the lion probably hated his guts as he hated him too but mark wouldn't actually go this far to get back at him, right? the lion stayed silent as he continued to drag the scared pudu with him towards a specific door that had come to their sights. donghyuck widened his eyes at the unfamiliar surroundings, not expecting to reach this part of the palace. heck, he didn't even know this existed inside the palace.

turning the door knob open, donghyuck had his body glue to mark as they stepped inside in a what looked like an abandoned library.

❝this is where you wanted to bring me?❞ what got donghyuck's attention first were the books. he didn't even expect for mark to love books.

rolling his eyes, mark let out a sigh when he moved away from the pudu who called him out as he didn't want to be left behind. mark walked over to a bookshelf from a far corner and had his index finger find a specific book. donghyuck furrowed his brows in confusion, wondering if mark was going to read him a book. the pudu's body was then frozen when mark tilted a book forward and the bookshelves was shaking, slowly moving to the side.

the pudu let out a soft gasp as a beautiful garden appeared right before his glistening eyes.

he took a step forward, going inside the garden that was inside a dome, leaving mark then who smiled at how surprised he looked. he found it honestly cute, especially at how donghyuck had his mouth half opened in awe.

❝it's beautiful.❞ donghyuck turned around and gave mark an adoring smile, ❝mark, it's beautiful.❞

staring straight at the pudu, mark can't help but also smile at how donghyuck appreciated the garden that he and his grandfather had made and had been taking care of. ❝it really is.❞

but it wasn't the garden mark was referring as something beautiful. he was already aware of it from the start, about the garden being beautiful. if you ask him, it was even beyond that. this garden, his den, is the only place he feels at home. it's the only place that could calm him down.

but having donghyuck stand there, admiring each flower he'd see, it was more than perfect.

who knew this simple pudu could make him feel this way. mark was loving his feelings way too much to even realize nor notice that he is slowly breaking the laws of nature.

❝don't just stand there!❞ donghyuck ran towards the lion, who's just smiling there like crazy, and held his hand just to pull him inside the secret garden they were in.

❝you should be careful,❞ mark said, stopping donghyuck from running over the flowers. ❝you might step on them.❞

❝oh, sorry.❞ donghyuck looked down at the flower right next to his foot and frowned when he almost killed it. he would probably cry if he does. ❝why is this beautiful place being hidden?❞

a butterfly then settled down on donghyuck's nose, making the pudu let out a sound but soon stared at the butterfly softly. when the butterfly went flying, donghyuck felt the need to follow it.

mark stood there as he watched donghyuck get distracted by a butterflies, letting a lot fly around the garden as he was running around and playing with them like a baby he is. can there be a time mark won't find him beautiful? even donghyuck stands there and breathe, mark would still find him very pretty.

❝mark, look!❞ donghyuck sat there on the grass, laughing, as the butterflies were flying around him. it looked like the butterflies were playing with him and the pudu looking like he was enjoying.

approaching the pudu, mark took the seat next to donghyuck and made the other pout. mark raised a brow at his face the moment he sat down, wanting to know why he looked at him like that.

donghyuck then pointed at the butterflies flying away from them. ❝you scared them away.❞

❝aw come on,❞ mark leaned closer as he wiggled his brows in a teasing way. ❝i know you love this lion's company more than those butterflies.❞

holding back a smile, donghyuck rolled his eyes before pushing mark back to lay on the grass. he laughed at him before following beside him, staring up at the sky that was obviously covered with a dome. again, he couldn't understand why this beautiful place was hidden away from the people. if donghyuck could have found out about this earlier then this would be his favorite place, no doubt.

what donghyuck didn't know was him being the first one that mark had brought, and probably the only one that mark with bring there.

❝grandfather and i built this.❞ mark started, getting the pudu's attention.

not really the place exactly, mark's grandfather personally asked workers to make this for them. but everything inside it, the plants, flowers, the trees, it was both mark and his grandfather who took take of them and watched them grow. this is such a special place for him and bringing someone special was perfect.

he's not going to say it out loud but there's something about donghyuck that intrigued him.

❝we'd always come here whenever he had time for me.❞ the lion showed a smile as he stared up to the sky that's covered up. ❝he'd play with me and would read me stories here.❞ thus explaining the abandoned library.

that used to be his grandfather's private library, letting no one go inside without his permission. donghyuck was so into the lion's story that he already had his body facing him, eyes sparkling as he listened to him very well.

❝he would teach me a lot of things, make me happy, and would scold me whenever i'd step on the flowers.❞ mark let out a chuckle as he started to remember his memories he had with his grandfather. ❝he's the best. the only family member that cared for me. my grandfather was the only family i had.❞

mark told him his story while suppressing the sadness he is feeling upon being reminded that his grandfather had passed away. while he was at it, a sniffle from beside him was heard that made the lion turn his head towards the sobs.

donghyuck was crying.

❝why are you crying?❞ mark brought up his hand towards the pudu's cheeks and wiped it with his thumb, smiling at him. ❝hey.❞

it was funny to see that donghyuck is the one crying when it's mark who had lost his grandfather. ❝b-because..❞

❝stop.❞ mark giggled when donghyuck's cry got even louder the moment he spoke. ❝donghyuck, stop crying.❞

❝i w-will..❞ the pudu stared at the lion who is waiting for his cries to tone down. donghyuck then bit his lower lip in hopes to shut his sobs up but only to continue crying as he remembered what had happened to mark. he had lost the only family he had that cared for him this much. ❝i-it's just s-so sad that y-you..❞

❝sunshine, i'm fine now.❞ mark reassured him, not minding the endearment he had used for the pudu. ❝stop crying, all right.❞

❝m-mark, if it h-helps..❞ donghyuck sniffled, bringing his hand up to wipe the tears that are drying up before looking back at mark who's waiting for him to continue. ❝i can be your grandfather.❞

silence invading the air for a moment, mark then burst out laughing out loud once he had heard donghyuck say that. really, this pudu know how to make him smile even if he says such weird things. the pudu could only pout when mark's laugh echoed inside the dome garden. but on the good note, he made him laugh.

there was something blooming, forming, between them. may it be friendship, or love, but whatever it is, they liked it. they might fight sometimes, tease each other, get into each other's nerves, but that's what had brought them closer. mark wanted to know what donghyuck's secret as to how he made him feel like this. for someone who's a simple pudu working inside the kitchen, mark had grew attached to him in such a short period of time. mark wondered if donghyuck felt the same.

❝you remind me of a pudu i had met when i was young.❞ the lion had spoke after his laughters died.

donghyuck then laid there with his eyes widened, and also a feeling of disappointment that mark still hasn't found out about him.

❝i was lost and found my way towards the kitchen, i first met him then.❞ mark said, a longing smile for that pudu. ❝i wasn't allowed to step foot inside the kitchen but since i wanted to meet him, i would sneak my way there. my mother scolded me bunch of times for that.❞ thinking back about it, mark just hoped that his family hasn't caused any harm towards that innocent pudu. ❝but that didn't stop me from meeting him.❞

part of donghyuck wanted to shout at the oblivious lion that it was him all along, but another part of him wanted to hear what mark had to say about him. even donghyuck was wondering why he hasn't been seeing mark after that one incident back when they were young.

the lion frowned, ❝then i wanted to bring him here, introduce him to my grandfather and also introduce him to this beautiful place.❞ he could remember the excitement he felt when he got to convince that innocent pudu to sneak silently out of the kitchen. ❝but just when we were standing by the doors, my mother came in and separated me with him.❞

donghyuck could still remember that vividly, he cried to his mother's arms when the queen at that time scolded him for meeting with mark.

❝the next day, i was told that the pudu was sent away and i won't be able to see him again.❞ maybe mark had promised himself that he would go and look for that pudu if he gets the chance to, but he didn't know where to start. ❝ever since then, i stopped going to the kitchen. i would always go to my grandfather and talk to him about that cute little pudu. i remember crying a lot whenever i would mention him to my grandfather. then came jaehyun, i also told him about this pudu and ever since then he would tease me, calling me simba as it was what that little pudu  would call me back then.❞

it made donghyuck furrow his brows. sent away? but donghyuck was just at the kitchen the whole time. he grew up there, waiting for mark to come, but lost hope along the way as it looked like he wasn't going to see him again. not until his birthday, where he had to hide from jeno. not the meeting he had expected but it made donghyuck happy nonetheless as he had saw him once again.

but why would mark's mother lie to him just for mark not to see donghyuck?

❝you know,❞ turned to donghyuck, ❝i bet he'll love this garden.❞

he does, that pudu he was talking about is just laying right next to him. and what mark said what right, donghyuck found this garden very beautiful.

but would donghyuck accept the fact that mark doesn't know one bit that it was him all these time he talking about? that the pudu he called cute was just there, listening to him. that the pudu he cried over when he was young was breathing the same air as him. that the pudu who once called him simba is the same one as the pudu whom mark got pressed up when he called him that one time.

donghyuck had let him go once but that won't happen again.

❝i do,❞ donghyuck spoke, voice ever so softly. but mark only had his brows furrowed when donghyuck answered. ❝this is probably going to be my favorite place.❞

mark wanted to ask what donghyuck was talking about. he didn't mind it though if this was going to be the pudu's favorite place, look at how beautiful and peaceful the garden is. just as mark was about to open his mouth and ask him, the pudu suddenly cried once more that caught mark off guard.

❝simba, i miss you.❞

he didn't know if it was possible but mark felt a gush of emotions when donghyuck called him by that nickname. it hit him in so many ways that mark can't even explain.

it didn't take long for mark and his stupid ass to finally realize what was happening. the next thing he did was pulling donghyuck into a tight embrace as the pudu continued to cry on his shoulder, hugging him back as if it was what the two had been wanting to do for so long,

be in each other's arms.

⚊ t b c ⚊